Walton man arrested on battery warrant

A Walton man was arrested on the heels of an Indiana State Police investigation of a July bar fight at Grissom Air Reserve Base bar Afterburners.

According to a probable cause affidavit written by ISP Trooper Jonathan Cole, 44-year-old Calvin Burton was arrested after reportedly being the instigator of a large brawl at the Miami County establishment.

Authorities were called to Afterburners at approximately 1:20 a.m. July 25, and Cole said he arrived about two minutes after the dispatch went out. Upon arrival, Cole said he pulled up to a scene in the parking lot.

“Upon arrival I saw at least 10 individuals in the parking lot area east of the bar,” Cole said in the affidavit.

According to Cole, a man identified himself as a Marine Corps reservist and an off-duty South Bend police officer then became belligerent and began berating Cole and MCSD Deputy Preston Howard.

The police officers allegedly remained on the scene interviewing subjects for approximately two hours. All involved were reportedly given breathalyzer tests, where Burton recorded a .145 breath analysis.

According to Cole’s affidavit, there were many different statements given, but more than one corroborated Burton had been flirting with a woman and reportedly became too aggressive shortly before the altercation began.

Upon follow up interviews in the following days at ISP Post Peru, one witness said he arrived at the bar after the initial altercation inside and heard it as it carried into the parking lot.

“Upon arrival, he heard some arguing and saw his friend Calvin upset because a girl had hit him in the bar,” Cole wrote.

During the physical fight in the parking lot, one of the males involved was allegedly knocked unconscious and Burton reportedly stomped on the man as he was unconscious.

“(Name redacted) statement recalling (name redacted) unconscious, face down on the ground defenseless, with Calvin Burton stomping on his head/neck area makes it apparent that Calvin battered a defenseless (redacted) regardless of what occurred prior to the stomping,” Cole wrote.

The person who Burton is accused of battering while unconscious was reportedly seen at an emergency department in his Ohio town, where he was diagnosed with a fractured right hand, a fractured thyroid neck bone, damage to his voice box and fractured thyroid cartilage in his neck.

Burton reportedly denied requests for any follow-up interviews at the ISP Peru Post.

After his investigation, Cole said Burton’s actions warranted charges.

“It is this investigating officer’s opinion the only obvious charge is battery causing serious bodily injury with Calvin Burton being the suspect,” Cole wrote.

Burton was arrested Sept. 10 for Level 5 felony battery causing serious bodily injury and was booked into the Miami County Jail on a $10,000 bond. He was released on a 10 percent cash bond of $1,000.